Chevrolet Cobalt Fuel/propulsion System Problems
Owners have filed 1,107 complaints with NHTSA about fuel/propulsion system problems on the Chevrolet Cobalt across 8 model years. The 2007 model year has the most (283). The words owners use most often: “fuel pump” (31% of reports).
- 1,107fuel/propulsion system complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,000typical repair cost reported by owners
- 28%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Fuel pump: mentioned in 344 of 1,107 complaints (31%)
- Strong odor: mentioned in 73 of 1,107 complaints (7%)
- Gasoline delivery: mentioned in 65 of 1,107 complaints (6%)
- Gas leak: mentioned in 60 of 1,107 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical fuel/propulsion system repair on the Chevrolet Cobalt at $1,000, and half of them between $830 and $1,250.
Based on 60 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2024), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do fuel/propulsion system problems happen?
Based on 857 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,107 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 18 a fire, 3 an injury.
Chevrolet Cobalt fuel/propulsion system complaints by model year
| Model year | Fuel/propulsion System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Cobalt | 1 | 100% | 200,000 |
| 2010 Cobalt | 101 | 18% | 104,000 |
| 2009 Cobalt | 226 | 32% | 97,454 |
| 2008 Cobalt | 202 | 24% | 103,000 |
| 2007 Cobalt | 283 | 18% | 95,500 |
| 2006 Cobalt | 255 | 11% | 99,433 |
| 2005 Cobalt | 38 | 2% | 109,000 |
| 2000 Cobalt | 1 | 100% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists fuel/propulsion system for the Chevrolet Cobalt. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Fuel Leak it smells and leaks it seems to be coming from the gas tank and sometimes I get random electric failure when I'm driving I lose power steering and My brakes get stiff and hard to push down and my dash will go Off and then go crazy and show that i have no gas
I observed my motherâs 2007 Chevy Cobalt was leaking fuel near the rear tire by the fuel tank. I inspected the tank with engine off and it does not leak. Only with engine running. I lowered the tank and observed a small crack on the plastic return line on the fuel pump module. I started looking…
Fuel lines leak around fuel tank, causing a fuel smell around the vehicle and a major fire hazard
Air bag says it needs serviced Gas gadge is all over the place hard to tell how much gas I actually have in my tank.
The fuel tank has an evap leak that somehow breaks on top the tank so it leaks the gas vapors and could potentially start a fire but the part that breaks is a non serviceable part so it canât be fixed without purchasing a whole new gas tank that isnât cheap. My other concern is the infamous…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Cobalts have fuel/propulsion system problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,107 owner complaints about fuel/propulsion system for the Chevrolet Cobalt. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Cobalt fuel/propulsion system?
No recall currently lists fuel/propulsion system for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix fuel/propulsion system problems on the Chevrolet Cobalt?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,000 (half paid between $830 and $1,250), from 60 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about fuel/propulsion system problems on the Chevrolet Cobalt?
The most frequent phrase is “fuel pump”, in 344 of 1,107 complaints, followed by “strong odor” (73).
Other Chevrolet Cobalt problems
- Steering problems (3,890)
- Electrical System problems (1,458)
- Air Bags problems (609)
- Fuel System, Gasoline problems (478)
- Power Train problems (368)
- Engine problems (331)
- Suspension problems (218)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (157)
See all Chevrolet Cobalt problems.